Here's how wildfires up north are affecting people in Merced County

Smoke from wildfires blanketed the Bay Area on Wednesday, drowning out the sun and bringing the air quality down to unhealthy levels.

The air pollution district advises that people impacted by wildfire smoke limit their outdoor activities, stay indoors with winds and doors closed, and set air conditioning units and auto vents to recirculate. "PM2.5 is so small, about 1/30 the width of a human hair, that it can penetrate deep into the lungs".

South Bay residents are being asked to take precautions due to smoke in the air. Parents and school administrators should check air quality readings before allowing children to practice outdoor sports, according to the air district.

In the Bay Area, that means six different organizations have pledged to donate $450,000 for fire relief efforts.

As air quality in parts of the Bay Area has become too unhealthy, residents should avoid air polluting activities like wood burning, lawn mowing and leaf blowing, driving, and barbecuing. It also predicted "unhealthy" for Thursday as well.

The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) will also perform wellness checks throughout San Francisco and providing transportation (upon request) to shelters. Young children, seniors and people with respiratory problems are "especially susceptible" to the health effects of pollutants from smoke.

Wildfire smoke can be unsafe to our health and even those who are healthy can get sick if there is enough smoke in the air.

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